Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-08
.DORSETT ON TIE STAND
The Superintendent of the Insane Asy-
Ium Testif8S in His 0w7 Behalf
Before the Board,
He Tells Why lie Spoke to DrS. Maxwell
and Bennett In the Way He Did
About Appointments.
He savs lie SIappsd Mary sawyer with HE
Open Hand and That 1t Made
Her Face Red.
FOURTH DAY

FOURTH DAY.
Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, Ten, Sept. In theL uuatic
Asylum investigation to-day the defense
began Introducing testimony
Or. j. S. Dorset W8s placed on the
stand, aud testified 81 an the super
n,endent OF the State Lunatic Asylum,
and respondent IN this case. 100,
charge on the 9TH day OF February, 1857.
Before that ! resided st Bonham. l am
now and have been for twenty-three years
practicing physician In the CITY and
country practice both. My practice for
fer the greater part of the time has been
pretty extensive. For four years | was
surgeonssud porser in the Pacific Steam
ship Line, the old Vanderbilt line, on
the steam ship Costa Rcs running from
New York 10 Aspinwall. Drs. Preston
and Davis went with NE as nv assist
ants. There are about $50 patients in the
asylum, male snd female There are SIS
males and 259 females. We have two
main buildings. The main building, the
new part, two sections north buildingard
the hospital. There are nineteen wards,
| three OF which are colored, with ABOUT
| 100 patients. There ls g superintendent,
two assistant physicians, 8 supervisor
and supervisoress, boCk-keeper, steward,
and matron, - and then comes
| the attendants. There are on the male
wards three attendants and one female.
| Their duties are to stay in their wards,
see that they are cleaned, and look after
| the welfare OF the patients They 90 on
duty st g. N. and sre of ut g O'Clock ..
m.
Colonel Robertson here took up he
charges seriatim and propounded the
questions upon them. MIR. WOOteu and
he had frequent discussions on the man
ner OF putting the questions, and this
caused the direct examination to some
what drag.
First charge, prevarication to Messrs.
Bennett and Maxwell: "When [ came
here | met DR.. Bennett Be
fore | was appointed I visited
DR.. Swearengen and with nim
called on DR.. WOOlen. DR.. Daniel asked
me what I wss going to do with the pres
ent medical staff. | said would make
no changes for the present at least. l
made substantially the same statement to
Drs. Swearingen and Wooten. | was
elected on January y. | met Dr. Max
well and told him | would be glad to re-
tain him. | don't think l met DR.. Ben
net a. that time, and don't think I met
him more than once or twice. There
were some eight or ten gentlemen apply
ing for the position, End | said to
each of them | will be glad to do anything
for you, not constituting the remark as
promise. 1 TOOK the oath OF Office on the
1st Of January or the lst OF February. !
had met Doctors Bennett and Ma well
before left for North Texas. | think |
49, T 80 !,
main for time at least. | told him
about the same that had said TO DR..
Daniel. | don't remember exactly what
| said. | met him once and asked him il
he was going to remain. lie gave me no
decided answer. | told him to file his
application with the Governor. I sale
the same 10 DR.. Maxwell. l asked him if
he was going to remain. 1 had nc.
choice at that time for the places TIE
assistant physicians and officers were
elected at the meeting Of the board held
, January 81. When talking to Or. Ben
, nett and Maxwell, I did not know
! whether would retain them or not.
was at the time ignorant Of the law, anG
1 thought l had the power of appointment
! and removal, and that the board would
! merely approve bills and give general ii
rections. l looked to the Governor ioT
my appointment. With this idea Of my
power, had these conversations with
Doctors Maxwell and Bennett. have nc
comments to make on the testimony OF
: DR.. Bennett and Maxwell I have
. brought papers here to show nay desire to
= retain DR.. Maxwell he read the endorse
y ment on DR.. Maxwell's application
! When this was put in
expected 10 keep DR.. Maxwell
= for the full term, but when it was init,
. mated no unmarried man YVES wanted by
the Governor then endorsed the second
application. think faTorabIy Of DR.
i Davis in the event DR.. Maxwell IS not
4 appointed. What I said to DR.. Bennett
:. was with the impression that had the
n power of appointment. The coz
!, yersations related as occurring Wit
= Mr.. Cast.emhn and DR.. Smoot ars
. substantially correct. good deaI 9
9 pressure y5as brought on the part oEapph
= cants and their friends for places. I Wa:
sick When here from the effects Of eating
y some fish. and WAS very nervous. i haC
not thea been appointed. told the sp
h plicaut3 to pu. in their applications
,a DR.. Ereston's nomination was mad
=, before the board on the 3ls
- of January I did net state positiyel,
that Governor Ross would have the ap
10 poiatment of the first sssistan. physician
n TIE Governor had suggested to ne t
~ appoint Dr.. Moore Of Seauin as frs
~ assistant, because. in the arst place, h
~ vas fine physician, highly recommend
ID ed, and then, too, he was from the hom
nj ioi Governor ireland. 1t was 8
a. inference OF mine that TIL
III was 8 suggestion of the Goyerno
30 drawn out OF his remarks. In the cours
nv OF conversation, I said to him "a
one was to be taken from that section
would like to suggest DR.. Preston
Seguin. I had only ABOUT three ccaYe
sstions with Governor Ross before l r.
tho turned home. did not understand tn
40 1 was giving Doctors Bennett aad Ma
uo well positive promises that l would T
"a. tain them.
vas THE MATTER OF DR.. JOHNSTON.
elI At the time of promise to Dr. ,Johnstt
on